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Don't Give in to Marketing FOMO: Four Steps to Resisting Shiny-Object Syndrome

A new publisher, a new tech platform, or a new marketing channel is being launched daily. People are constantly developing new social networks, content sites, and other ad-supported ventures.

One result is some fear of missing out (FOMO) among marketers: Rather than remember and stick to the basics, they jump into shiny-new marketing and advertising channels they don't know anything about—for the sake of staying ahead of the curve.

After all, what if that next platform is the platform you've always wanted?

In the end, though, you're only hurting yourself by going wide instead of going deep. You can't be all things to all people—not even with a huge marketing department and an unlimited budget. Your brain can't manage all of those channels and details, so you end up scattered and ineffective.

Making the 'Go or No-Go' Decision

It can be so tempting to jump into that new channel. Maybe it speaks to you personally—or you're getting pressure from the boss to try something new and sexy.

One of our clients recently wanted to participate in a podcast that was really hot. However, participation required financial investment. The client was tempted by the big name, but before taking the leap we considered two crucial factors: who the listeners were and how many there were.

It didn't matter how cool or cutting-edge the podcast was. If it didn't speak to his audience members—and a good number of them—it wouldn't be worth the investment.